Bouncy Ball Birthday! And other fun times in Utah..

I'm not gonna lie...I worked HARD on this kiddo's birthday party. In honor of kaden's first word being clearly, "ball" I thought it would be fun to do a ball themed party. We had ball-like decorations, ball-like food, and of course tons and tons of balls! We also filled up a kiddie pool in the backyard with water and some bounce-house balls. Kaden was in Heaven!!! He seriously is obsessed with balls and balloons and it was so fun seeing him play to his heart's content. I was so grateful for my family that helped with the food and decorations and especially for my sister in law, Rachel, for loaning her house for the party!

Ben and I have also tried to take advantage of our rare time in Utah. Though Ben has to study about six hours a day for his Step 2 exam, we still have had so much fun! We've hiked the Y and Stuart falls, so far, and have taken several long walks in the mountains behind my grandma's house where we are staying. We've also gone to Seven Peaks Waterpark almost everyday. Kaden is getting such a cute little tan! Ben has also babysat ALOT for me so that I could take Zumba class which has been so awesome because I have to confess I'm a huge Zumba girl and kaden screams if we take him to the gym day care. Ben is the best husband ever!

Kaden is 12 months! One year! 365 days old!!

No way. I really cannot believe it...

Kaden is one!

It's only expected that I'd get sentimental at this milestone, and I totally got teary-eyed on his birthday!

Our first moments with kaden were so scary, I still can't believe we went from this on day 1:

To this...right after we brought him home from the NICU...

To the days when he FINALLY got some chub on him...

To when his golden blonde hair began to come in...

To when we learned our son was the BIGGEST tease:)

To one year later...

Happy and healthy...

 and such a little stinker!:)

So much has happened in the last year...I've grown so much as a person since I've become a mother. I feel like everything with his heart has especially made me a Mama Bear. Before Kaden, I was a driven, smart and hard-working girl...but I was easily persuaded and too much of a people-pleaser. When I became a mother it became necessary for me to put my baby first; and I had to learn to say no, prioritize my life, and to take things a little bit slower. It was quite a change for me to go from my hectic life, always on the run, to days where I felt accomplished if both Kaden and I survived the day. This year, more than anything else has made me grateful for MY mother and the sacrifices she made (makes!) for me. I had no idea how much your emotions can be tied up in a tiny little person, how their happiness becomes your happiness, how their discovery of the world teaches you to re-discover and appreciate the small and insignificant. I'm so so very grateful for the biggest blessing in my life. Kaden, you are my best little buddy, the biggest joy in my life and my greatest blessing. Happy Birthday!

Kaden is 11 months!!!

This last month has flown by!! Ben has been on psychiatry at ben taub and has had really good hours. Its been nice to see him every night and not feel like a single mom:) the past couple weekends we have been so busy! First we were up in San Antonio over Memorial weekend visiting Ben's best friend Tyler. Then ryan (Ben's brother) and his wife Bri came to visit us. We had a blast showing them around Houston. We are also starting to pack up all our stuff as we are putting our condo up for sale in two weeks!! As excited as I am for our fun, travel-filled summer, I'm feeling sentimental about moving and selling our home where so much has happened. I feel like I grew so much in Houston, and just when I'm finding myself loving it and feeling comfortable, we leave:(  BUT I'm super excited for the adventures in store for us! First stop: Utah! Then Oregon, then Florida! Its gonna be crazy! Enough about that, here is the update on Squirt!

•two tiny teeth buds have finally poked through!
•crawling EVERYWHERE but no steps yet
•waves bye-bye
•plays peek-a-boo
•says "that!!" And is constantly pointing at things!
•loves being sung to and dancing to music, esp loves itsy bitsy spider
•loves reading books, points constantly to the pictures
•understands the words: ball, book, daddy, drink, outside, night night, birdy, puppy, airplane, swim, swing, and Cheeto!! :)
•will bring me a ball or a book if I ask for it
•super naughty and gets a sneaky look on his face whenever I say no
•obsessed, overly obsessed with Balls of all shapes and sizes!!
•loves throwing food off his high chair
•loves going swimming with his daddy
•hums himself to sleep
•still breastfeeding a lot...trying to wean him off a bit
•scared of the vacuum and the blender
•loves playing with older babies
•a mommas boy, having some stranger danger:)
•overall, he is the sweetest, most social, and curious baby! Can't believe how blessed we are!!

For my mom...

I felt a really strong need to write a few thoughts about my incredible mother. Now I know there are a lot of selfless, caring, empathetic mothers out there, but I truly believe I was blessed to be born to and raised by one of the most celestial women who has ever lived. I owe all my accomplishments to my mom.

She has been my number one supporter and cheerleader for my life. She taught me unconditional love, something I didn't truly understand until I became a mother myself; then I finally understood how blessed i was to grow up in the embrace of her fiercely-strong, selfless love.

My mom has not lived an easy life. In fact, I know of no other person who has been dealt more trials and hardships, yet continues to live faithfully to God and devoted to the happiness and well-being of others. My mom faces her trials beautifully, and uses them as tools to teach and uplift others. She is in every way a healer of broken hearts and  broken people. As a previous child of abuse, she now works full-time helping other children heal from their own abuse. As a once young and single mother, she is the perfect sympathizer for the sometimes dauntingly lonely task of being a stay at home mom. As a woman who has suffered debilitating physical ailments, she inspires and encourages others to push past their limitations, and sets the example by rocking out at Zumba class whenever she can. As her daughter, she helped heal me of my own insecurities, shyness, and fear of inadequacy. Because she believed in me, I believed in me.

I could write more about how my mom's special potato soup can heal any flu-like symptom, or how she would decorate her office proudly with the thousands of stcky-notes i had drawn pictures on, or how her singing to Carpenter's "Im On Top of the World" cures all teenage sassiness, or how her cool hands on my forehead soothed any anxiety or stress...but you'd still only get a small picture of how incredible of a mom this woman is.

On this mother's day, my first as a mother myself, I wanted to let my mom know just how remarkable of a woman and mother she is. If I can love my kids with half the selflessness that my mom shows to me, I will consider my life a success. I love you mom! happy mothers day!!

Kaden 10 months and Utah Trip!

Well, since Ben was working insane 100hr+ weeks and I was living basically like a single mom, I decided to fly out to Utah a week early and spend some extra time with my fam. It was awesome. Between the good food, endless shopping, and abundance of willing babysitters, I was in Heaven! It was SO nice to be with my family and friends and not feel alone so much. It was especially cool for my mom to bond with Kaden, since she had more time now that she GRADUATED with her Master's Degree! woohoo! So proud of my mommy.

 Time flew way too fast but it was reunited with my sweetheart in Texas again. I CANNOT WAIT to spend the summer in Utah! Ben and I have already made a huge bucket list for things we want to do and its going to be awesome! But enough about that, here is an update on the big 10 month old!!!

-Huge dancer!! Every time music plays he goes crazy!
-NO teeth but honestly those buggers could come any day now
-crawling super speedy fast everywhere and pulling himself up on all the furniture and even on walls
-knows how to climb up stairs
-walks when you hold his hands
-OBSESSED with balls: baseballs, footballs, you name it this kid is boy through and through!
-loves to hang upside down
-loves being thrown
-hates sitting on grass
-understands the words: momma, daddy, birdies, outside, no-no, night-night, ball, Look, and bye-bye
-says "Momma"
-Copies sounds that we make
-big brown eyes now--no longer blue!
-lots and lots of Blonde hair!
-Has learned how to play peek-a-boo
-loves going grocery shopping and looking around at everything
-transitioning now to just 2 naps per day
-loves popcorn, blueberries, hummus, pudding, breastmilk popsicles, watermelon, and peas
-refuses baby food 99% of the time
-loves to chew on giant carrots and cucumbers
-loves showers, baths, and swimming
-loves reading books and watching baby einstein
-obsessed with wheels-car wheels, stroller wheels, etc.
-social butterfly, loves to play with all other babies and kids
-a big flirt, smiles and coos at strangers everywhere
-will give a "kiss-kiss" and pucker his lips to be kissed
-when he wants your attention he turns his head to look at you upside down--hard to explain but honestly the cutest thing in the world!

We are getting so close to one year that it breaks my heart! The next few months are going to be CRAZY as we move to Utah for awhile, then Oregon, then Florida, then back to Texas for all of Ben's away rotations. Wish us luck, it'll be a crazy roller-coaster ride!

Kaden 9 months!!

I'm a little late in posting this but that is because I was recovering from two WEEKS of stomach flu. seriously. It was rough and I didn't really feel like doing anything except lay in bed…which was actually convenient because the worst of it was during General Conference Weekend. I'm telling you, if you're gonna be sick, be sick during G.C. Because if you are going to lie around all day in bed, listening to the prophet and apostles is a great option to lift your spirit! But enough about that, here is the update on my little 9 month old monkey!!

-Crawling everywhere! Seriously so fast that I cannot take my eyes off him for one second
-Pulling himself up…and falling. wants to get into everything and anything.
-learned to recognize the words Daddy, Birdies, Puppy, Outside, Momma, Night-Night
-refuses to be fed anything by spoon! driving me bonkers…will only eat what he can feed himself.
-still sleeping through the night most nights…except when Ben gets home at 2 am and then Kaden thinks its time to play with Daddy!
-Loves eating cheerios and avocado, big fan of shredded beef and chicken
-Loves playing with other babies, a little social butterfly
-Loves reading books and watching baby einstein
-we have a little duck puppet and he will laugh hysterically when I play with it
-OBSESSED with bath time…will cry when I take him out and will escape when I'm trying to dress him and crawls back to the tub!
-loves playing with dogs, but scared of cats
-loves watching birds and squirrels in the park
-favorite toys are: shoes, cell phone, measuring cup, boxes of any kind, and washcloths
-loves watching the washing machine spin
-will give "kisses" and "loves" by sucking on my cheek and bonking his forehead to mine
-No stranger danger yet, just Mr. Social

All in all i'm crazy about this kid. He fills me with so much joy and purpose. Ben has been SO BUSY that I really have felt like a single mom the last few weeks. There are moments I feel so drained that I want to cry but other moments where my heart is so full with what i've accomplished. This week I'm headed to Utah (primarily because I get to see my Mom graduate with her Master's Degree in Social Work, but also because I'm alone ALL THE TIME while Ben is on his surgery internship). I'm looking forward to having babysitters, fresh utah veggies, crisp Utah spring air, playtime with friends, reconnecting with family, and showing off kaden to everyone.

Thanks for reading!

Kaden 8 months!!! (and North Carolina trip)

Well, we are more in love with this flirt every day. He is such a happy, playful baby and truly brightens our life. Here are some details:

-No teeth yet, just an adorably gummy smile
-Not crawling yet, but does this 'pounce' thing when trying to get a toy…just picture samba from the lion king:)
-Loves avocado, beans, carrots, prunes, and almost all fruits
-Loves Pudding…made the mistake of letting him try some at Jasons deli the other day…he was hooked!
-Loves to play with balls and keys
-Loves to go on walks in the stroller and ride in the shopping cart
-When he gets excited he kicks his legs and shakes his hands…he's like a puppy wagging his tail
-When he is tired he will 'hum' himself to sleep
-Loves swimming! We took him for the first time at our hotel in North Carolina and he loved it!
-Loves being outside
-Crazy excited about animals, will grab fistfuls of their fur! Luckily, we've only encountered child-friendly dogs and cats so far.
-Babbles and shrieks, especially in church :/
-Loves to hang upside down!!! Daddy taught him this I think…
-Loves to be tossed in the air
-Has now learned to smile on demand (sometimes) for the camera
-Sleeps an average 10-12 hrs a night! but a Terrible napper…so I really don't get anything done during the day
-No stranger-danger yet! He smiles and coos at every new person he ever sees
-Super grumpy around 5 pm every night but then perks right up when daddy gets home at  7
-Loves to be tickled…is especially ticklish on his neck, thighs, and tummy
-When he is hungry and/or tired and wants to nurse he watches me with eyes glued on me and smiles and does a laugh/whimper to get my attention. He will also tug on my shirt which can be embarrassing.
-a traveling CHAMP! On our trip to N.C he slept the whole three hours of the flight--both there and back!

I really feel so blessed to be his mother. I'm so grateful for his healthy body and his happy disposition. Couldn't ask for more.

Now, a little about our trip: We flew out to North Carolina to check out the orthopedic surgery residency programs. We looked at Durham, Chapel Hill, and Winston-Salem. Mostly we wanted to see the housing, atmosphere, vibe, etc. What we found we loved! N.C. is stunningly beautiful and so very clean (compared to downtown houston, haha). We found some great neighborhoods we could potentially live in and they have lots of hiking and running trails. We hiked Hanging Rock State Park and it was gorgeous. However, the weather was colder than we had planned for so we had to make a pit stop at walmart. Well, with the unexpected cold, the store was sold out of most winter apparel. Kaden had to settle for a pink hat and socks as mittens. Everyone that we met told us what a pretty baby girl we had:) It will be a great story to tease Kaden about when he is older. We also walked around Salem Lake…it ended up being a 7 mile walk! Baby K woke up at like mile 2…he did good for awhile but it was a bit too long of a stroll out in the cold…I did the only thing that keeps him happy and sang and danced like a crazy person in front while Ben pushed the stroller. Kaden laughed and laughed and it held him over for the last few miles.

We made a point to stay in hotels that served free breakfast. The funny thing was that Ben LOVES continental breakfasts BUT every single morning we missed it! First of all, we slept in. But really, who closes their breakfast at 8:30?! and we missed breakfast all four days. EVERY day, four different hotels. haha you'd think we'd learn! So we just went to walmart, stocked up on oatmeal packets and hot chocolate. Dinner we went out to cheap restaurants but was REALLY disappointed. Houston's food scene really can't be beat.

All in all we decided that N.C. would be a dream place for residency. Are there some downsides? Sure...it is super far from family!! I guess we will just have to see after all the interviews are done. Who knows, I never before considered living in Texas and I've grown to love it. Maybe the future has some more surprises in store…

Thanks for reading!